Home is Where the Heart Is
by Mystik Surreality
Summary: Leon and Aerith make a run into heartless held territory on the report that there may yet be survivors... [Co-written with Jacen Soul]


Home is Where the Heart Is  
  
-Alias Majik and Dagger-  
  
Leon tensed his grip on his gunblade's hilt, but was hesitant to move more that a little at a time. As of yet, they'd gone unnoticed. He'd like to keep it that way, if at all possible. They're purpose was to check for survivors, but he was becoming more and more disheartened by the appearance of this area alone. He glanced at Aerith. She didn't seem worried, merely cautious. She still seemed to believe that there were people alive here. He nearly winced.   
  
"Aerith." he rasped. "I don't think that we're going to find anyone."  
  
Her eyes harderned into a steely resolve at these words, there were people here she was sure of it. She wouldn't abandon them.   
  
"We keep looking." she told him her tone icy hiding her desperation she softened a bit "Just a little longer Leon. I want to be sure."  
  
He nodded. If she thought she was sure, he couldn't force her to leave.  
  
She took another step and her senses sung. "They're back..."  
  
She tightened her grip on her rod as the creatures surrounded them cold malice in there eyes in perfect sync gunblade and rod swung creating a path.  
  
Leon dove at one, slicing straight through it, then swung backwards to catch another. "Aerith, get out of here!"  
  
They ran through the creatures one of them leapt at her and she wasn't quick enough creating a small gash across her shoulder blade stopping just before her dress she inched but kept running.  
  
He watched her wince and fell back enough to cover their retreat. "You're clear! Run!"  
  
The heartless swarmed around him, but he slid closer to her just enough so that he wasn't cut off from her completely.   
  
She spun 180 degrees her spinning and landing behind her back as a white ligh surropunded her.  
  
"Leon get Down!!"  
  
The energy flowed from her into a wave of pure light colliding with the heartless around Leon.  
  
Leon tensed and watched her wilt a little. He stood and moved just enough to quiet protesting muscles. He leapt forward in a lunge that two out two of the first heartless to swarm towards them. He turned and grabbed her arm, forcing her to run with him until they were surrounded. Standing back to back with her, his eyes took on an unearthly calm. He shifted just enough to catch three in a spiral movement that left him just a few steps too far from Aerith. They swarmed in and cut him off.   
  
Not content to just swarm him, one took a rather nasty chunk out of his leg and he had to clench his teeth not to scream.  
  
They were both surrounded and things weren't looking good, she could sense his pain. she swung her rod around in a circular motion an orb of blue energy forming and dispersing into a glowing blue wind around them. Her back felt a little better but it wasn't enough, she swung her rod trying to beat them bac but there was to many.  
  
"I'm starting to think you were right about the survivors, they've completely taken this district."  
  
Leon forced himself to ignore the pain enough for the hauntings of a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, I'm starting to regret how right I am." his words were painclogged, but he would ignore it. He managed to fight his way back to her side, glancing around to notice they were close to the fountain. "I can cover you. Get to fountain and climb to the upper platform."  
  
She shook her head, "No, you go. I still have one more trick up my sleeve, trust me get to the platform I'll be fine."  
  
Leon hesitated. "Aerith, I'm not leaving you down here alone."  
  
"Go Leon!! I'll be fine."  
  
He shifted enough so she was forced to at least move closer to escape with him. "I'll go, but you've got to promise you'll be right behind me."   
  
"I promise. Get to safety I'll be right behind you."  
  
Leon nodded and used his good leg to give him the boost he needed to get to the upper platform. He wasn't completely safe, but he had a hunch that this little trick of hers was going to drain her, so he waited, keeping the exit open. "Hurry!" he yelled.  
  
She merely nodded her foot was right at the edge of the fountain she'd retreated all she could. A barrier surrounded her as the heartless bombarded it and it shook under there assault but all she needed was time.  
  
A faint green glow surrounded her as streams of energy flowed from the ground as the barrier gave way. Yet still more of the green energy flowed like a river from the ground converging with the heartless. There was a bright green flash and the heartless were gone, they had returned to the planet. She fell to one knee the power of that attack and her injuries had left her weakened but she had beaten back the heartless, for now.  
  
"Aerith!" Leon called. He leaned over and extended a hand. "Let's go home."  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Not yet"  
  
She raised a hand and pointed towards the Gizmo Shop. "There."  
  
He raised an eyebrow and dropped down beside her. He helped her to stand. "You need to rest." he stated blandly.   
  
"We have to go to the Gizmo Shop, there's someone there I can feel it."  
  
"You wait here, I'll go check it out." he offered.   
  
"NO. There might be more Heartless."  
  
He forced her to sit on the edge of the fountain and limped across the square. "Don't worry. I'm in better condition than you are anyway."   
  
"What if they attack me here? Who will protect me Leon?" She gave him her sweetest smile.  
  
He stopped at the stairs and glanced back at her. "You little nymph." he mumbled. "Fine fine, come on."   
  
The two made their way up the stairs, but Leon hesitated at the doors before pushing them open.   
  
As they walked in they saw a large lizard that seemed to disappear and reappear stalking a little girl.  
  
"We have to help her Leon come on!!"  
  
Leon didn't waste his breath on words before he charged past her, gunblade raised for a strike. He brought it down towards the lizard, but somehow it shifted enough for him to completely miss it.  
  
He stumbled forward a step, realizing that it was faster than him.  
  
He shifted enough to at least place himself between the lizard and the small girl.  
  
"Watch Out!!" She cried at him as two beams of light shot towards him and she had just enought time to cast a barrier around him.  
  
He winced, but sent a rare smile towards Aerith. Stooping a little, he sprung upwards and caught the lizard in an upwards slash.   
  
He managed to maneuver around to catch it a second time on his way back to play 'meat shield' for the purple haired child.  
  
Aerith leapt in the air swinging her staff around and coming down on the lizard connecting with the side of it's head as it lashed out at her creating three gashes across the middle of her back as she cried out in pain.  
  
"Aerith!" Leon called out, anger tearing at him. He had lost too much. He was not going to lose another of his friends. He launched at the lizard, stabbing straight through it's leg. It screamed out and caught him with the other. It sent him flying, but did little more than shred his jacket besides. he shook his head, clearing it, before he stood. "Kid, stay behind me." he snapped at the little girl. He stood now between both the child and Aerith, and the lizard.   
  
Aerith forced herself to her feet, glancing from the girl to leon then finally to the lizard.   
  
She clutched her Rod staring straight into the lizards eyes. They had to protect this girl. She edged towards Leon "Any ideas?"  
  
He chuckled a little, coughing as he did. "You're supposed to be the brains of this opperation." he replied with a bit of dry humor. Shifting his grip a little he sombered. "Get the girl out of here, Aerith. That's our first concern, and I'm the one better trained to cover a retreat."  
  
"Or we could finish this now." She placed a hand on his blade as spirit energy flowed from her hand into his weapon and it began to glow and extend in size into a shining blue blade. "Finish it Leon."  
  
Leon shifted, looking her in the eye with his most severe glance. "If it doesn't work, I want your word that you'll escape with her." he growled.  
  
"Leon I..." She began to protest but saw the look in his eyes and decided against it and merely nodded.  
  
He stepped past her and closed his eyes, concentrating. His whole body began to glow with that same energy. He wasn't sure how, but he concentrated this new energy into himself in such a way that it was possible for him to use it as a boost, and as a trigger. The technigue was called 'Renzokuken', and he used it to shred the overgrown lizard.   
  
He stood among the remains, his own reserves draining from him until his knees met the hard ground.  
  
Aerith's first response was to help Leon but he'd be ok and there was this little girl she walked over to her kneeling beside her.  
  
Leon managed to glance behind him, if not stand. "Is she alright?"  
  
  
  
Aerith nodded "I think so.You ok kid?" She then turned to the girl again "What's your name?"  
  
"My names Eiko and I'm a lady not a kid."  
  
"I'm very sorry Ms. Eiko."  
  
Leon chuckled. "She told you." he murmured.  
  
"I don't think you should be talking Leon, conserve your energy we still need to get back."  
  
He smirked.  
  
She stood and held out a hand to Eiko "I'm Aerith and this is Leon. Don't worry we'll help you out."  
  
She then walked over to leon "Can you stand?"  
  
He nodded slightly and demonstrated his words. Listing a little, but sturdy enough, he turned towards Aerith and Eiko. "Well, ladies," he began. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired, hungry, and in need of at least a mild healing potion." He was being modest, obviously. That tear in his leg was rather bad, and as he eyed Aerith he noted she was in worse condition than he was. Her face was drawn and pale, and she was fighting the urge to wince.  
  
Aerith nodded "Well Ms. Eiko please come with us and we can find out what happened to you."  
  
The little girl nodded Aerith could tell she'd been through a lot but was keeping up a brave front. No one that young should have to deal with the things she has.  
  
Leon noted Aerith's look, and glanced at Eiko himself. He smiled sadly before he slipped an arm around Aerith to help support her. "We'll worry about her later... right now we'll worry about getting all three of us healed up." he murmured quietly.  
  
She nodded. "Let's go home."  
  
This time, all of them were heartily ready to agree. 


End file.
